


The Last Days of the Legato Conservatory

by goldfishoflove



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Arguing, Banter, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, I mean you know how this story ends, Leisurely Sex, Light Angst, Making Up, Music, Porn With Plot, Science, Teasing, Urgent Sex, We just never talk about this part of it, Well ... Fantasy Science, more like plot with porn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-27 14:43:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16704457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldfishoflove/pseuds/goldfishoflove
Summary: With less than two weeks left in Cycle 47, Barry and Lup learn their way around their new relationship while going on one last desperate search to save the plane where it started.





	1. Legato

Lup pulled Barry off the path, into one of the small groves that dotted the wooded hillside. There were a few small benches and an open space surrounded by a hedge; a place for a small ensemble to practice, maybe, on a nice day. Barry’s heart was pounding, but it wasn’t from running up the hill. They spoke at the same time.

“Barry--”

“Lup, I--”

They both stopped, looked at each other, and then laughed. Lup grinned at Barry while he smiled and looked down.

“You go first,” he said.

Lup smirked, and Barry’s heart squeezed as she tilted her head to look at him through her eyelashes.

“If you say so,” she said, and stepped forward until she was standing right up against his chest. She could feel him inhale, and when she brushed her nose against his, his eyes were so wide that she hesitated.

“Maybe you should go first,” Lup said softly.

Barry lifted a hand to cup her face--lightly, tentatively. When Lup pressed her cheek into the touch his face lit up, and it was so genuine and so earnest that she laughed, just as he began to lean forward. Barry paused and blinked.

“What?”

“God damn it, Barry.” Lup grabbed his face in her hands, pulled it to her, and kissed him.

One kiss dissolved immediately into many short kisses. “S’this okay?” Lup murmured between them.

“God, yes,” Barry panted.

Lup switched to trailing her mouth along his jaw. His stubble pricked her lips and she nipped back in retaliation, pressing tiny bites down his neck to his collar. Barry gasped in her ear. He still held Lup’s face lightly with one hand, the other hovering awkwardly at his side, but when Lup slid her arms around Barry’s waist, he took the hint and wrapped his around her. Her dress was cut low in the back, and the heat of his palms made her shiver.

Lup planted a kiss at the base of Barry’s neck, and when she straightened they were suddenly looking into each other’s faces for the first time since they’d left the stage. Barry’s heart fluttered in his chest as he saw her playful smirk soften. She gazed at him, and her eyes were full of joy, and light, and … and …

“I love you,” he breathed, and just like that, a weight he’d been carrying on his chest for decades lifted away. Forming words from it was surreal. He tried it again, just to be sure. “Lup, I love you. I’ve loved you for decades, I--I don’t even remember what not loving you is like any more. Holy shit, I can _say_ th--can I say that? Is that okay?” He looked stricken.

Lup laughed. She grabbed his face in her hands and touched their foreheads together.

“Every day, if possible.” She leaned forward and kissed him again, slow and soft and exploratory. He shifted his arms to cradle her. They breathed together, letting their lips brush together in the warmth, before Barry slipped his tongue into her mouth. He trembled at the small sound she made as she pressed herself closer.

Lup pulled just enough away that she could watch Barry open his eyes. They were wide, awestruck.

“I love you too,” she said quietly.

Barry’s face creased into a smile, tempered by disbelief. He was so used to reserving hopes and discarding expectations about Lup that hearing it so bluntly, and seeing it so clearly in her face, was overwhelming. He felt fuzzy, dreamlike, weak at the knees.

It must have shown, because Lup nudged his nose with hers. “You good?”

“I …” Barry forced himself to take one long, deep breath. “I’m _great_ , yeah. But I should probably sit down.”

Lup smiled and tugged him towards one of the benches. The metal was cold in the fading twilight, and no sooner had she sat down than Lup squirmed and scooted forward again to keep the chill off her back.

Barry slid his coat off in one motion, sweeping it over Lup’s shoulders as he sat beside her. It hung loose on her, full of his heat and his smell and the memory of how it stretched perfectly across his back when he bent over the piano. Lup hummed happily as she snuggled into it.

“See, this is what I’m talking about. I love that you _do_ shit like that.”

Barry laughed and took her hands in his. “If I’d known that’s all would take, I’d have lent you a jacket years ago.”

Lup grinned. “And miss all this drama?” She leaned over onto his shoulder. “I wouldn’t trade tonight for anything.”

Barry squeezed her hands. “Yeah,” he said quietly. He rested his head against the top of hers. “Me neither.”

It was a clear night, and the sky above them was peppered with stars. None of them were familiar, of course, but he picked out the curve of a violin body before approaching footsteps caught his attention. The murmurs of passing students rose and then drifted off again. People were starting to filter back from the reception, towards the dormitories scattered among the conservatory buildings at the top of the hill. No one bothered to look around the hedge, now shadowed by nightfall, but they would, eventually, be missed.

Barry turned, and Lup shifted to face him.

“What--” he began, and then her lips were on his again. He couldn’t help smiling into the kiss, and Lup placed a peck on each corner of his mouth before looking at him expectantly.

“... I was going to ask, um.” Barry swallowed. “What … what do we do now?”

“Well.” A stern face couldn’t mask the lilt in Lup’s voice. “First, I plan to kiss you some more.”

“Okay, yes.” Barry straightened out and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his lap. “But then what?”

“Mm … same answer.”

Barry looked pained. “I’m serious, Lup.”

“Why?” Lup frowned. “What are you afraid of?”

Barry struggled to articulate it. “I … all the same things that kept me from saying anything, I guess.” He reached out, hesitated, then rested a hand lightly on Lup’s knee. She immediately folded hers around it. Barry shot her a smile.

“I love you. And I want this,” he continued, “but the circumstances aren’t exactly … I mean, half the time we’re fighting for survival, the other half we’re neck-deep in research. Plus we’re in close quarters all the time, so if we ever … um. If we need space, or time apart, or anything … well, one, we physically can’t, and two, it would impact the rest of the crew, and the mission, and … god, there’s so fucking much at stake.” He pushed his glasses out of the way to pinch the bridge of his nose.

Lup watched him and waited until he looked over and met her eyes. Her serious face was genuine now, and after years spent learning to read her, he couldn't miss the forced calm in her voice.

“Barry … could you still walk away from this? After tonight?”

Barry blinked. He imagined turning, standing up, letting go of her hand. Sitting across from her in the lab talking only about sensor readings and the properties of the Light. Lying alone in the dark, remembering the taste of her lips, knowing he’d lost his chance. He tried to imagine forgiving himself.

Barry realized he was already shaking his head. “... no.”

“Then none of those reasons matter.”

Barry furrowed his brow. Counterargument escaped him, but anxiety still knotted in his stomach. It eased, a little, when Lup reached over and brushed his cheek.

“Let’s at least enjoy the beginning of this before worrying about the end, huh?”

There it was again, that restrained tension, and with a sudden flare of guilt Barry realized how it must have sounded when he rattled off a list of objections to something that he wanted from the bottom of his soul. He exhaled in a rush.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t have--”

Lup interrupted him with a kiss, quieting both his mouth and his mind. Barry leaned into it gratefully, chasing her lips for a moment as they pulled away. She smiled at that, and he paused to admire the curve of her lips and the brightness of her eyes.

“Whatever I did to deserve you,” he murmured, “it wasn’t enough.”

Lup snorted. “Sure.” Barry gave her an odd look, but before he could put it into words, she kissed the end of his nose and asked, “Ready to face the music?”

“Hmm. I thought that’s what we just did.”

Lup rolled her eyes as she stood. “Come on, Dad Joke Bluejeans.” She held out her hand. He took it, grinning, and rose.


	2. Playing It Safe

Barry awoke slowly, information from his senses filtering in a little at a time. Daylight pressed patiently on his closed eyelids, but it was dimmer, softer than he was used to. He could hear the faint hum of the engine and nothing else. No footsteps, no conversation in the other room. Strange. Then the warmth and weight of Lup beside him reached his consciousness, just ahead of the scent of her, and Barry was suddenly wide awake. He opened his eyes.

Lup was still, eyes closed and breathing slow and even. Her back was to him, and he could just see the strap of her nightgown above the blanket. They were in her bed, which is why the light seemed strange; Lup had a scarf hung over her window, and it filtered the harsh brightness into sepia. The ship was quiet because they had left the others at the conservatories to rally their assistance in finding the Light, while Barry and Lup took the ship to search for it elsewhere on the plane. And he was in her bed because … because …

Barry didn’t actually remember that part.

Lup stirred, and Barry’s breath hitched. He had seen her sleep before, of course, and probably seen her wake up before, but not when she was so close that he could admire the texture of her skin as the muscles shifted beneath it. So close he could almost … well, couldn’t he?

Barry leaned forward and brushed his lips against the back of Lup’s shoulder. He felt her take a deep breath, and she murmured something pleasant that wasn’t quite words. Lup rolled onto her back, tucking her shoulder against Barry’s chest, and blinked slowly at him.

“Good morning,” Barry said.

Lup reached up and pulled his face to hers. Barry’s senses were suddenly focused on the damp heat of her lips and the satin finish of her nightgown as he slid his arm around her waist. It finally occurred to him to inventory his own state of undress: an undershirt and boxers, pretty reasonable under the circumstances but not a lot of cover for the morning wood he was trying not to impose with. That wasn’t getting any easier as the most beautiful woman he’d ever known slipped her tongue into his mouth.

When Lup pulled away, she was smiling. “Good morning,” she agreed. She folded her hands behind her head, and it was all Barry could do not to stare. The nightgown covered her, but didn’t do anything to hide the contours of her chest underneath it. She was so close to him, and so comfortable with being so close.

“What do you want to do first?” Lup asked.

Several answers came to mind. Barry’s heart thumped a little faster in his chest.

“I, um. I’m trying to remember where exactly we left off,” he admitted.

Lup smirked. “Well …” she said slowly. “We dropped Cap’nport and Lucretia off at Forte Conservatory to see if they could get any help there. Then we took the ship out far enough to take some baseline readings, and spent a lovely evening on deck looking at the stars.”

Lup traced a finger idly up Barry’s chest. He remembered that part, and the stars were not what either of them had been paying attention to. He licked his lips reflexively at the memory of her curled up in his lap, fingers tangled through his hair as they made out like teenagers.

“Then we agreed that if the Light had fallen anywhere near the mountain, someone would have seen it,” she went on. “So probably the best use of our time will be to get as far away from it as we can, doing a shallow scan for any strong energy source, and keeping an eye out for other settlements.”

After a few seconds of expectant silence, it dawned on Barry that Lup was not planning on explaining the part he was still confused about. From the twinkle in her eye, she also knew _exactly_ what she was doing to him.

“Tell you what,” she said sweetly. “You bring the ship out to sensor range from Forte's horizon, and I'll get breakfast started. Then we can plan some more once you have coffee in you.”

“Uh ... sure.”

Lup propped herself up long enough to kiss Barry on the cheek, then slid out of bed. He waited until he heard her pad down the hall to the bathroom before shaking his head and heading back to his room to change.

 

The smell of coffee had drifted from the galley to the bridge when Lup poked her head through the doorway.

“How's it going, Bear?”

“Almost there. Sorry it's taking so long, I don't have a good terrain map so I'm playing it safe.”

“Good thinking.” Lup draped her arms over the back of his chair, laying her hands loosely on Barry's chest. “But you should know you're missing something delicious.”

From this vantage, she could just see the corner of his mouth twitch upwards. His eyes stayed focused ahead of him. “I'll bet.”

Lup watched Barry's hands as they drifted smoothly across the controls. Correct the heading, adjust the power, ease back on the yoke to give a tall rock formation plenty of clearance. Every member of the crew had gotten a few flying lessons by now as a safety precaution, and Barry was a respectable pilot. He lacked Davenport’s experience or Magnus’s confidence, but made up for it with calm and precise attention.

Lup watched his hands as she pressed her lips to the side of his neck.

She felt his chest rise quickly. His skin tasted salty. She sucked it lightly between her teeth, ears pricking up as Barry’s breathing got shorter and faster. Lup shifted her weight so she could brush her fingers across the front of his shirt; when they skipped over a nipple, she was gratified to hear a muted gasp. She smiled.

Lup paused to let Barry guide the ship through a turn, heading inland from the rocky coast. When they were leveled out again, she moved to the other side of his neck, nipping sharply before pressing her mouth down on the mark. Barry shifted in his seat. It gave her the perfect excuse to find his nipple again and pinch it gently--this time she saw him flush, and felt tension hardening his shoulders.

She glanced back at his hands. They were poised on the yoke, unmoving, but relaxed and steady.

“Not bad,” Lup murmured.

Barry’s chuckle rumbled in his chest. He leaned forward and tapped a couple of buttons on the console, and the whine of landing gear was shortly drowned out by the low roar of the tiltjets. Lup straightened and braced herself on the back of the pilot’s seat as Barry brought the ship down on the top of a wide, scrubby hill. As he switched off everything but the habitation systems, Lup took a step back, making space for him to stand.

Barry was already pulling her to him as he rose, drawing her into a hungry kiss. Lup could feel the hammer of his heartbeat as she pressed her chest against his, but when she tried to grind into him, she felt him laughing softly into her mouth. He stepped away.

“Do you have _any idea_ ,” he asked, eyes twinkling, “how much practice I have ignoring how sexy you are?”

Lup’s mouth worked silently for a few seconds.

“Well,” she said finally, “maybe you should stop ignoring it.”

Barry leaned over to plant a comically chaste peck on her cheek. “And let your delicious breakfast get cold?”


	3. Lab Work

They made quick work of the dishes, Barry washing and passing them to Lup to dry and put away. While they tidied up, she finished explaining her idea for extending the range of the arcane energy sensor by more precisely targeting the Light's emission frequency. Barry nodded along.

“You’re quiet,” she observed as he handed her the last dripping skillet. “You doing all right?”

“... yeah.” Barry turned to lean back against the counter. He toweled his hands off, then frowned at the middle distance. “But I have to ask, um … what actually happened last night?”

Lup almost dropped the pan. “Holy shit,” she said. “I was sure you were kidding.”

Barry winced. “I’m sorry! I remember most of it, but--after about three in the morning, things get kinda fuzzy.”

Lup put the pan away and closed the cabinet behind it. “Yeah, you were fading so fast I thought I was gonna have to levitate you down the ladder. But you got back to my room with me okay, so I helped you get undressed, and we both passed out pretty much immediately.” She slid the cabinet latch home with a _thunk_ , then hesitated. “Is … that okay?”

“Yes! Yeah. Absolutely.” Barry dropped the towel on the counter and put a reassuring hand on the small of Lup’s back. “I didn’t even want to say anything, but I figured I should probably know, if ... um …”

Lup’s mischievous smile sparked up again as she turned around. “You’ve been wondering all morning if we fucked already!”

Barry flushed. “I mean! Not … necessarily that, but--”

Lup hooked her fingers in his belt loops and pulled him to her. “Honey, when I get my hands on you, you’ll remember.” She ran her palms over his hips and down the sides of his thighs.

Barry glanced downwards. “It ... kinda seems like you’ve _got_ your hands on me.”

“Not enough of you.” She brushed the back of her knuckles lightly over his fly. Barry closed his eyes and exhaled in a rush.

“Not in the kitchen, Lup,” he managed.

She smirked. “Coward.”

“Brat.”

“Excuse me?” Lup’s eyebrows shot up. But Barry had already slipped around her and was headed down the hallway towards the lab.

 

“... and then two-sixteen, twenty-one, hundred and eighty-one, four?”

“That’s what I got too.” Lup threw down her pencil and leaned back with a sigh of relief. Their work table was covered in diagrams, lists of numbers, and half a dozen yellowing lab notebooks. This was their third attempt at the complex calibration, and the skylight above them had shown nothing but stars for hours.

Lup shoved her fingers through her hair, shaking it out and tying it up again in one practiced motion. She looked up to find Barry watching her. His face was relaxed, but his eyes were slightly narrowed, like he was studying the brushstrokes in a masterwork. Lup felt her cheeks heat up. She looked away quickly, but she was smiling.

Barry cleared his throat and turned back to his notes. “Let’s, um, rig this up and then call it a night?”

“Sounds good.” Lup pushed her chair back and brought her paper over to the wall on which they’d set up the sensor. Barry followed momentarily, already beginning to unspool a roll of fine silver wire.

They worked as quickly as care permitted. Barry read off a number and passed the slack in the wire to Lup, who coiled it around one of hundreds of pins arranged in a circle on the wall. While she etched a rune in chalk next to the coil, he checked off the pin number and rolled out more wire. It was a shabby facsimile of the arcane sensor arrays he’d worked with at the IPRE, but no one could have predicted how vital a piece of equipment it would be on this mission. They were lucky to have even this.

“Three hundred.”

“Got it.”

The pin was above Lup’s head. She stretched to reach it, and out of the corner of his eye Barry noticed the front of her shirt tugging out of the waistband of her skirt. The curve of her belly reminded him of holding her in bed that morning, and he felt his pulse quicken.

Lup raised her eyebrows expectantly. “What’s next?”

Barry shook his head to clear it. “Uh, a hundred and two.” He passed her the wire. Lup took it and then stepped right in front of him, smiling slightly as their eyes locked and their chests brushed together.

“... hi.” Barry smiled crookedly.

“Hi.” Lup kissed him, softly. Barry responded with heat, leaning into her and probing her lips with his tongue. Lup let herself savor it for a few seconds before pulling away and shooting him an innocent look. “Pin’s behind you.”

Barry blinked, blushed, and stepped back. “Um. Sorry.”

Lup smirked and wound the coil.

It took about fifteen minutes to configure the rest of the sensor, not counting the excuses they made to bump into each other, stroke hands, brush hips. When they got to pin one hundred and eighty-one, Lup knelt to coil the wire near the bottom-most edge of the circle. Barry, standing right in front of her, made the mistake of glancing down as she finished writing the rune; she met his gaze through her eyelashes. Lup leaned forward to press a kiss on the front of his thigh before standing.

Barry gave her a long look. His voice was husky. “Four.”

Lup tilted her head back to look at the arc of pins near the top of the ceiling. She looked at Barry.

“Want to give me a boost?”

Barry’s eyes flicked upwards, then back to her. “... sure.” He measured off a few generous arm lengths of wire, then cut the end and handed it to her. “Last one.”

Lup smiled as she arranged the wire loosely in her hand. She nodded to him and braced herself.

Barry bent and wrapped his arms around her, just below her hips. As he lifted her up, he felt her stretch above his head to wind the last coil of wire. His face was nuzzled against her stomach. He couldn’t resist giving it a quick kiss.

“Hey,” came Lup’s voice from above him. “No tickling, Bluejeans, or I’m gonna fall and die.”

“I’m not!” Barry carefully shifted his weight. “Also, no you wouldn’t.” He realized that his grip on her, mid-thigh, was barely above the hem of her skirt -- centimeters from skin. He planted a longer kiss as high as he could reach, just below her breasts.

Barry heard the snip of the cutters, and the leftover wire dropped to the floor. The chalk scratched in quick, precise motions.

“That's it,” said Lup finally.

Barry bent to set her down again. He loosened his arms only as much as he had to, dragging his hands over the curve of her ass as he stood, and Lup’s mouth was on his as soon as it was within reach. She gripped the back of his shirt and kissed him ferociously.

Barry groaned into her mouth. He grabbed her ass and pulled their hips against each other, and Lup made a delighted noise.

“Are you done fucking teasing me?” she mumbled against his lips.

Barry sputtered. “ _I_ was teasing _you_?!”

Lup grinned and shoved him. Barry staggered backwards until he bumped into the edge of the table, Lup only a step behind. He heard the clatter of her tools dropping before her fingers twisted through his hair, and the sound Lup made when he sucked her lower lip between his teeth almost made him lose his balance. His hands found the back of her shirt and pushed desperately under it.

Lup pulled away, breathing hard. She yanked her shirt over her head and threw it on the floor. A second later she was back in Barry’s arms, pushing his thighs apart with hers so she could grind against him. Barry gasped into her neck. His kisses there were hasty, sloppy, and scattered with quick bites. He screwed his eyes shut as he rolled his hips helplessly against her and whispered,

“Need you.”

Lup nodded quickly, licking her swollen lips. She grabbed his belt and pulled him aside so she could hop up on the edge of the table. He stepped against her again immediately, gliding his hands up her belly and pushing them under her bra. Lup reached back to unhook it before busying herself with his belt buckle.

Barry fondled her breasts greedily until he found her nipples and rolled them between his fingers. Lup gasped, and her hands faltered just as she got his belt open. She paused to shrug her bra the rest of the way off, then took Barry’s face between her hands and pulled him into a kiss. Barry tugged on her nipples and shivered when she keened with desire.

Lup scrambled to open his fly. In a few moments she had his dick out and her hand wrapped around it. It was rigid, dripping, and when she stroked it from base to tip Barry gasped. He leaned into her and slid his hands up the outsides of her thighs, under her skirt. He was reaching for more fabric to pull out of the way, but his fingertips found only the bare skin of her hips.

“... _fuck_ , Lup.” Barry was all but drooling.

Lup just grinned as she scooted to the edge of the table. She hooked the back of Barry’s thigh with her heel and pulled him close. Barry leaned over her, and their eyes met as he dragged the tip of his cock along her dripping lips. He paused, swallowed, then glanced around the room as if only just noticing where they were.

“Is--is this how you want--”

“ _Please_ , Barry.”

He was buried in her before she finished saying his name.

Lup clapped a hand over her mouth and whimpered into it as Barry pulled back and began to thrust quickly.

“Fuck, fuck, yes, finally, please!”

Barry realized he was panting, and he forced himself to miss a beat before he got too close. Lup’s eyes squeezed shut, and she met his rhythm as best she could from her precarious position. Barry bent over her and wrapped an arm around her back. His strokes were short and fast from this position, but they pressed her down against the table and she writhed with friction and sweat.

Lup’s mouth hung open. “Oh god, Barry.”

Barry stayed as steady as he could be expected to with the love of his life moaning his name. He watched and listened, chasing the speed and the angle that made her gasp and shake.

“You feel so good,” he murmured as he rocked into her. “Lup, you’re so gorgeous, you’re so fucking sexy, I just want to make you come over and over.”

She trembled and gripped his shoulders. Barry leaned over to kiss her neck, then lingered, licking and sucking on her skin. A few strokes more and Lup dug her fingernails into him and shouted, her wordless voice ringing off the walls of the lab. Barry let out a breath he hadn’t noticed he’d been holding. He shifted his weight and began thrusting faster.

“Oooh.” Lup watched his face with hungry intensity. “You gonna come for me?”

Barry nodded hard. He was flushed and sweating, and his eyes were wide. Lup cupped his cheek with her hand as she squeezed around him.

“Just like that,” she whispered. “I love you so much.”

“Oh!”

Barry shuddered and pulled her against him as he came.

They held each other in silence for a minute, breathing hard as their pulses came back to normal. When Barry felt himself begin to soften, he pulled out and cleaned them up with a murmur of prestidigitation.

Suddenly Lup giggled. “You _would_ get off on the L word.”

Barry blinked. He laughed, blushing faintly. “I mean I don't in _general_.” He kissed the side of her jaw. “Maybe I just like how it sounds coming from you.”

Lup smiled coyly. “Oh yeah? I love you.”

“Mmm.” Barry shot her the best bedroom eyes he could muster while chuckling. “Love you too.” He took a step back to let her stand, and tucked himself back into his pants. He looked around sheepishly. “That was, um … not exactly how I imagined our first time. Don’t know about you.”

“Well ... it was _one_ of the ways.”

Barry raised an eyebrow. Lup ignored it and reached up into a stretch.

“Bedtime?” she asked. She rested her forearms lightly on top of her head. Barry's eyes roamed from the dark swell of her areolas to the collection of small bruises on her neck and shoulders.

“Since when do you need sleep before I do?” he asked.

Lup smiled. “I didn’t say anything about sleep.”


	4. Fear

“Whoa.” Lup sat up straight in the pilot’s seat, eyes wide. “Hey, Barry.”

Barry glanced up from where he was hunched over the map. “What’s up?” He saw Lup staring straight ahead out the window and turned to follow her gaze. His jaw dropped.

Lup was guiding the Starblaster along the course of a broad, straight valley. For days, the only landmark worth noticing had been the river that flowed through it, back towards the sea they’d left behind. This morning, though, they had begun to approach a low crumple of mountains, and the land around the river had been rising all day. As Lup slowed the ship, they overlooked the end of the valley. In front of them, roaring down from a crack in the mountains, was a waterfall the size of a skyscraper.

They could hear its thunder even over the tiltjets keeping them steady. Its base was a cloud of mist, dense and deep enough that it could have concealed a small city. It looked as if an ocean was tumbling over the sheer face of the mountain, and even from a safe distance, the Starblaster felt tiny and fragile by comparison.

Lup flicked a switch and stood up. The ship wobbled for just a moment before settling itself back into a stationary hover, and she was halfway out the door before Barry could clamber to his feet. It was bright and muggy on deck, between the cloud of mist and the last of the late summer sunlight. When Barry reached the top of the ladder, his heart stopped.

Lup was standing upright on the rail. She kept one foot casually hooked behind it as she peered over the side; every time the ship bobbed, she swayed with it. Her eyes were shining, and her grin was big enough to show her canines.

Barry knew that look.

“Lup, wait.”

She glanced at him without turning. “What?”

“Please come down.”

“You don’t want to see this?”

“I do, but we can land somewhere and--” Barry’s breath caught as Lup spun on the ball of her foot, teetering conspicuously before recovering and putting her hands on her hips.

“What’s the fun in that?” She grinned at him. Barry frowned back. When it was clear he wasn’t moving, Lup rolled her eyes. “Fine. Back soon!” She stepped backwards.

Barry threw himself against the rail just in time to see the red sparkle of a spell disappearing into the mist. His yell of frustration vanished into the gray air as he headed back to the bridge.

 

Lup got back around sundown.

Barry heard her before he saw her, clattering down the ladder and going straight for the shower. When the water stopped, her footsteps headed back to her cabin, then the galley, where they were muffled by the clattering of dishes. Finally she knocked on his door, cracked it open, and stuck her head in.

“Hey, babe. Hungry?”

Barry lay on his back with his hands folded under his head. “Nah. Thanks.”

Lup paused. Even with his eyes closed, Barry could feel the look she was giving him--squinting, curious, not sure yet whether to be amused or annoyed.

“You good?” she asked.

“Uh.” Barry weighed his options before settling reluctantly on the truth. “Not really.” He rolled upright and looked at her. There was the squint.

Lup folded her arms. “You're mad at me.”

“I’m not _mad_ , I just … I wish you wouldn’t do that.”

Lup sighed. “Yeah, okay,” she said. “I was afraid of this.”

Barry blinked. “What?”

Lup grabbed the stool from under his desk and dropped onto it. Her slouch put them about at eye level. “Bear. Listen. We’re … changing some things, between us, and it’s fucking great and I want it. A lot. But some things? Aren’t gonna change. I love you, Barry, but I don’t answer to you. You don’t suddenly get to tell me what to do just because we’re banging.”

Barry gaped. “When did I tell you what to do?”

“Like, five seconds ago?” Lup stared back, looking as baffled as Barry felt. “And before? You told me not to go down there!”

“That’s not what I said!”

“Oh my god, I’m not splitting hairs with you. I don’t mean literally a command, I’m just talking about control.”

Barry pinched the bridge of his nose. “Lup, I’m not trying to control you. Trust me, I know better.”

“What do you call it, then?”

“I was _scared_!” He snapped his head back up to glare at her. “You didn't know what was down there, I didn't know when you were coming back, if anything had happened to you I couldn't have--”

“I can handle myself.” Lup met his gaze icily.

“For chrissakes, you _know_ I know you can. But you of all people also know that shit just goes wrong sometimes anyway. What if you hadn't come back?”

“Then it's only a week until the cycle ends! Who cares?”

“ _I fucking care_!” Barry caught himself balling his hands into fists and forced himself to release them, to lower his voice. “Are you serious? Losing you _now_? Lup, it’s awful every time, it always has been, but this week, this year … we don’t get a lot of chances like this. I want …” His shoulders sagged. He sighed. “Fine, it’s selfish. I just want every moment with you I can get.”

Lup pursed her lips. “That’s a pretty scary way to word that, you realize.”

“Well then, I guess we’re even.” Barry threw up his hands.

Lup squared her shoulders and sat up a little straighter. She started to opened her mouth, then stopped.

“... Barry.”

“Yeah?”

“Is this what you were afraid of?”

It took a minute for him to catch up with her. Their conversation in the grove. Four decades of silence, worrying about the risks to the balance of the crew. To their partnership.

“... yeah.” He looked at her, and the anger in his eyes was replaced by a familiar flicker of anxiety. “This is what I was afraid of.”

Lup let out a long breath. She moved over to sit next to him on the bed. “Okay, so. We're … gonna have to get really good at this.”

“Yeah.” Barry smiled a little. “I guess we are.” He reached for her hand and laced their fingers together.

After a thoughtful silence, he asked, “Can I try what I was saying again?”

“Go ahead.”

Barry furrowed his brow, sorting carefully through words. “It … scares me, a lot, when you run off without telling anyone the plan. You’re really, really smart, and really powerful, and you’ve still died that way twice. I don’t know which time is going to be the third time.” He looked down. “I hate when you die, Lu. It seems like such a waste, especially now. I know we have all the time in the world, but …somehow it still feels like it won’t be enough.”

Lup didn’t answer. She was looking past him with a strange expression, and for a startled moment, Barry wondered if she was going to cry. Instead she just nodded and said nothing. He shot her a worried glance.

“You okay?”

Lup took a deep breath. “Yeah!” She brightened suddenly. “Just been a long day.”

Barry raised an eyebrow. “Sweetheart, I love you, but I haven’t fallen for that in years.”

Lup blinked. She snorted. “No, I guess you haven't.” She glanced at him slyly. “I really am tired, though. These beds were _not_ designed with couples in mind.”

Barry chuckled. “Yeah, funny how they didn't plan for that.” He looked around his cramped berth: narrow bed, a chest for clothes, and his small desk haphazardly piled with papers and sample containers. “I was thinking about that, actually. We, um. Might be able to fit both of them side by side in one room, if--if that's a thing you wanted. Wouldn't be able to keep much else in there, but--”

Lup smiled. “You read my mind.” She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. “After dinner?”

“Sure.” Barry’s face grew serious. “But I want to go over the sensor data tonight too. I know we haven’t passed anything strong enough to be the Light, but maybe if we follow one of the larger fluctuations …” He trailed off, and frowned. “It’s not much.”

“No,” Lup said. “But it’s not nothing.”

Barry nodded slowly. “And if there’s even a chance we can … I mean … they all matter, every cycle matters, but--”

“--but this one’s ours,” Lup finished quietly.

“... yeah.” Barry slumped over to lean on her. He sighed. “I _really_ want to save this one.”

Lup wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “I know,” she said. “I do too.” She rested her chin on his head. “It’s not even just because of--” She gestured between them. “It’s that waterfall, and the mountain, and everybody we met at the conservatory. It’s the fucking _music_ , Bear. We worked so hard, _everybody_ worked so hard. We can’t let it all get destroyed. We just can’t.”


	5. The Future

“We’re not going to find it, are we.”

Barry opened his eyes. His cabin was dark. They’d been lying in silence for a couple of hours, but he wasn’t any closer to sleep than Lup was. There was one day left before their rendezvous with the rest of the crew.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Maybe not. But I hope we do.”

Lup rolled over to face him. Barry reached an arm out, and she curled up on his shoulder with a heavy sigh.

“Hey.” Barry squeezed her. “For all we know, the others found it already. They could be just sitting around twiddling their thumbs and waiting for us to get back.”

“We can’t count on that.” Lup’s voice was strained.

“No,” Barry agreed. “But we can hope.”

Lup traced the faded IPRE logo on Barry’s shirt until he reached up and twined their fingers together. Resting still on his chest, she could feel his heart beating, calm and slow.

“You’re so … good,” she said.

Barry’s eyes had drifted closed again. “Hmm?”

“You just … never stop trying to do the right thing. It’s good. You’re good.”

“I guess. I mean, I try to be.”

“You know I’m not, right?”

Barry blinked. He turned to look down at her. “What?”

Lup was focused off in the distance, staring at something in the dark he couldn’t see. “Just that … I do the wrong thing, like, all the time. Sometimes it’s a mistake but … usually it’s just easier, or faster, or I think it’ll be funny. And at the time it is, but then I look back later and think, wow, that was actually really fucked up, and then it's too late to fix it.”

Barry frowned. “You do a lot of good, though,” he said. “Think about how many times you’ve found the Light of Creation, all the people you’ve saved. Not to mention all those robots with the crystal thing. They only exist right now because of you.” His arm felt warm and heavy across her back, and Lup let the weight pull her closer to him.

“Hmh.” Lup untangled their fingers and squeezed Barry’s hand. He squeezed back immediately. Her voice was distant. “You say that, but you’re out here trying to give me hope for this universe and all I can think is how much I want to grab you and Taako and run away somewhere I can pretend none of this is happening.”

“Heh.” Barry reached out to stroke her cheek. “Sounds good to me. Let’s put it on the calendar for the day after we beat the Hunger.”

Lup stiffened. After a second of sharp silence, she rolled back over, pulling away from Barry’s arms to lie with her back to him.

He stared after her. “Lup … ?”

“Can we not talk about that?” She sounded so small that Barry gaped.

“I … I’m sorry?” He shot a worried look at her back. “I'm … not sure what I'm not talking about.”

Lup shivered. Barry reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, then hesitated and drew it back.

“Beating the Hunger,” Lup said finally. He had to strain to hear her. “And afterwards.”

Barry’s mind raced. They hadn’t ever talked about what they would do after the mission ended. Merle liked to ramble about his dreams of beachfront property, and Lucretia would of course finally publish her book, but he couldn’t remember ever hearing Lup say anything about it.

“I don’t understand,” he confessed. “A lot’s gonna change, but … we’ll get through it, Lu. We always do. And I’ll be right there with you, if--if you still want me to be, I mean, I--”

“For how long?” Lup turned back around suddenly, and Barry’s eyes widened. Her face was contorted with sorrow. “Thirty years? Maybe forty, if we’re lucky? Then what?” She flicked her eyes across his face, waiting for him to get it. “Barry, if we end this and start aging again, you’re gonna--” Her voice cracked, and she covered her face with her hands. “This is why I didn’t want to talk about it! It’s not your fault, you can’t do anything about it, it’s just not _fair_.”

It took Barry a moment to recover from his shock. “... _oh_.” He slid over and pulled her into his arms. “Oh, _Lup_.”

They had always known each other as peers. Lup’s playfulness made it easy to imagine her younger, and the truth--that she was at least a hundred years his senior--had long since ceased to matter. If they really did manage to get time flowing again, though? She might easily see another half a millenium. At his age, and with his habits … yeah. Forty years, if he was lucky. Less than an elven childhood.

“Is that why you never said anything? All this time?”

Lup nodded miserably. The corners of her eyes shone. “It was one thing when I thought it might just be a fling, but …”

Barry exhaled, and nodded. “But it’s not,” he said quietly.

“No.” Lup shook her head. “It’s not. And sooner or later, the cycles are gonna end, and I … Barry, I’m dreading it. I was already dreading it, but now that we ...” She lost her words and pressed her face into him. He felt saline soaking into his shirt, and could hear her tremble. “I know we have to win. As long as it’s still chasing us, people are dying, whole _worlds_ are dying, we have to stop it, but …” Her voice rose, approaching panic. “Deep down? Really really deep? There’s a part of me that _doesn’t want to_. And that’s _awful_.”

Lup started to sob. Barry pulled her as close as he could and held her tight. “Lup. Lulu. No. It’s not awful. You’re not awful. The time thing … sucks, yeah, I won’t argue with that, but we’ve got years, still. Maybe a lot of them, who knows. And … until then we’ve got each other.”

He rubbed her back in slow circles, murmuring reassurances. Gradually, Lup’s shaking calmed. Her breaths got longer and deeper.

“You wanna know the worst part?” she sniffled into his chest. “It’s a fucking _cliché_. Every elven bard troupe ever has an act about the powerful but naive prince or something who falls in love with a human and tries to live happily ever after. Everything’s great for a few decades, and then she goes and dies of old age. He gets this long dramatic monologue about heartbreak and the fleetness of time, and either withers away or jumps off a tower or something depending on the version.”

Lup sighed. “I _hate_ those stories. The setup always seemed so stupid to me. Everyone knows humans live for less than a century, so why would you even …” she trailed off. Her mouth twisted into a wry smile. “Just my luck that the best man in forty-seven universes would be one.”

Barry huffed in protest. “Lup, I’m not even the best man on this crew.”

“Whatever, you’re my favorite.”

“That … okay, that’s not actually true either.”

“Taako doesn’t count, he’s family. Just take the fucking compliment, Barold.”

Barry laughed.

“Fine.” He settled his arms more neatly around her. “But only if you let me pass on some good advice I got recently.”

“What's that?”

“... let’s enjoy the beginning of this, before worrying about the end.”

Lup blinked. She squirmed away just far enough that she could squint at him. “ … you son of a bitch,” she accused without anger.

Barry smiled. “Hey, don't shoot the messenger.”

“Watch me.” Lup pointed two fingers at him, imitating a wand. “Magic missile. Pew pew pew.”

Barry grabbed her fingers gently and kissed the ends. “I dodge them all. Man, you're a bad shot.”

“Excuse you, I most certainly am not.”

“Apparently with your fingers you are.”

“That’s not what you said last night.”

Barry, mouth open to retort, blushed instead.

Lup let out a triumphant “Ha!” Barry chuckled and cupped her face in his hand. He brushed the track of a tear away with his thumb, and Lup’s expression softened.

They drifted towards each other unhurriedly, neither one quite admitting that they were moving until their lips met. The kiss was soft, tentative, until Barry felt Lup’s shoulders relax. She parted her lips slightly to tug one of his between them. The tension was sweet, but her interest was irresistible. Barry splayed his hand out over her hip, then let it creep a little further, towards the warmth between her legs.

“Can I … ?” he murmured.

Lup answered with a roll of her hips that pushed her butt into his hand. Barry broke into a smile. He had been with her every night since that first time in the lab, but part of him still felt amazed and grateful for each invitation.

Lup lay back, and Barry brushed his fingers through the soft fuzz of her pubic hair. He stroked lightly, not pressing into her yet, just gathering moisture and spreading it. Lup wriggled her legs further apart. Barry took the hint and slid a damp fingertip over her clit.

Lup sighed softly. Barry propped himself up to get a better angle, stroking a little deeper this time. His hand came away slick and hot, and he felt himself twitch in his shorts. Lup looked up at him through half-lidded eyes.

“Taking your time, Bluejeans.”

“Mm-hmm.” Barry resumed his light circles around her clit, and felt a thrill of pride as her jaw went slack. He watched closely in the faint starlight as he slowly slipped two fingers into her. Lup’s face was flushed, and her chest heaved when the heel of Barry’s hand finally pressed against her. She squirmed, pushing into him for more.

“Barry …”

Barry twisted around and sat up on his knees without pulling his hand away. He had a conspicuous tent in his shorts now, but Lup was too distracted by the gentle motion of his fingers to notice. Her head was hanging back--eyes closed, mouth open--and her hair splaying out behind her framed her in a soft halo. Barry indulged in staring for a moment before shifting down the bed and leaning over to plant a kiss on the inside of her thigh.

His heart swelled at the way she opened up to him, parting her legs and scooting lazily back to make room. Barry settled on his stomach. He started slowly once again, kissing and lapping until Lup’s impatient noises finally drew his tongue to her clit. He exhaled warmly as he began gently stroking again, and pressed his lips down to suck on her at the same time as his fingers found her g-spot.

Lup tensed, and the noise she made sent a pang of need through him. Barry flicked his tongue over her clit and let his fingers thrust faster. His face was already wet with her, and he groaned hungrily at the taste.

“Don’t stop,” Lup gasped, and he didn’t. He devoured her, keeping a steady rhythm even as she lifted her damp thighs over his shoulders and dug her heels into his back. Barry kept up as well as he could while she rocked against his mouth, speeding up just a little when he felt her start to quiver around him.

Lup _wailed_. Her hips jerked forward, and her legs curled tight around Barry’s head. She dug her fingers into the sheets and held him against her for what felt like minutes, shaking with the pulse of her orgasm. When she finally relaxed, he pulled away quickly and sucked in a breath.

Lup exhaled in a rush. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t be, holy shit.” Barry sounded dazed. “That was incredible.” He sat back, pulled his sweaty shirt over his head and used it to wipe off his face. Lup ran her eyes over him appreciatively.

Barry looked different with his glasses off. Without their hard edges his cheeks were softer, his eyes more exposed. A secret face that she only saw in the dark. He was more at ease in private, she had learned--both quieter and more confident--but not so much that she couldn’t still pick him apart with a word, when she wanted to.

Lup smiled. “C’mere, handsome.”

Barry looked up from tossing his shirt aside. She saw the honest surprise for just a second before he brushed it off with a laugh and lay back down beside her. Lup leaned over him and kissed him firmly. Patient as he was, she could taste the want on his tongue, and when she pushed a hand under his waistband he groaned into her mouth.

“Wanna get rid of these?” Lup murmured. Barry was already nodding, and as he pushed his underwear over his hips she caught herself wondering if there was anything he wouldn’t have given her right then. She nipped his earlobe lightly with her teeth. When she bent down to kiss his chest, she felt his heart thud a little faster.

“Don’t have to,” he whispered as she brushed past his stomach.

Lup licked her lips. “Oh, I know.”

Barry sighed her name as Lup slid her mouth down over his cock. She could already taste the tang of his arousal, and when she pulled off to run her tongue along his length he twitched eagerly against her lips. She glanced up to find him watching her; when their eyes met, he flushed but didn’t look away.

Lup pressed her head down again without breaking eye contact. Barry’s breath quickened, and it wasn’t until she felt him nudge the back of her throat that his eyes squeezed shut and his hands clutched at the sheets. Lup bobbed her head languidly, savoring his whispered curses and the tension in his hips. When she pulled back enough to trace his frenulum with her tongue, his moan sent a shiver from her heart to her clit.

Lup paused and looked up. Barry reached out immediately, brushing her cheek with his fingertips and leaving them there. She smiled and rose, letting him draw her forward until he could pull her into a wild, warm kiss. By the time they broke apart she was straddling him. Barry held himself still as she sank down onto his cock, and as their hips met he groaned with relief.

Barry caressed Lup’s thighs as she settled herself, rocking against him with the slow heat of buried coals. He squeezed her ass without interrupting her rhythm, just riding along with it for a few strokes before fanning his fingers over her belly, up her sides, tracing the curves of her breasts and shoulders. He gazed at her, wide-eyed, as he explored every inch of her he could reach. It seemed impossible for each part to be as perfect as it was. Skin and muscle, fat and bone, everything in exactly the right place to form the shape of Lup. Even the sweat that clung to her made her glow.

“You’re a _goddess_ ,” Barry whispered. Lup laughed softly, but her back straightened, and she lifted her head a little higher.

Their buried coals were a fire now, its flames licking at the junction of their legs, and Lup slipped her hand between their bodies to stoke it. Barry gladly took over the building tempo as her breath grew short and she found herself much closer to the edge than she’d expected. Lup forced her fingers to still, and took a breath.

“Barry?”

“Yeah?”

“Come with me?”

Barry smiled, and if there was an edge of nervousness there it was softened by adoration.

“I’ll try,” he promised.

Lup leaned on her arms and let the friction between their hips take over rubbing her clit. Barry slid his hands over her thighs, bracing against her as he fucked her from below. He panted into her shoulder, watching, listening, reading all the little signs he was learning to treasure. When he heard her whimpering, his grip tightened. When she started to shake he was already losing control.

“Lup, I--”

“Yes, now!”

“I love you,” Barry gasped, and wrapped his arms around her as she moaned his name in the darkness. He shuddered through his release, pressing kisses into her neck as Lup collapsed onto his chest with a sigh. He held her close until their heartbeats calmed and their sweat began to cool.

 

Later, through half-closed eyes, Barry watched the freckles on Lup’s shoulders rise and fall in the peaceful tide of sleep. He thought about lifetimes.


	6. The End

Their flight back to Legato was quiet.

Lup stayed with the arcane sensor all day, watching for any hint of the Light’s energy in any direction. When they stopped for lunch, she ate standing on the bridge.

“What if we screwed up the calibration?” she said suddenly.

Barry put his spoon down. “We did,” he reminded her. “And we fixed it. That’s why it took us so long to set it up.”

“But what if we wired it wrong? We were pretty distracted.”

“We were,” he agreed, “but we verified it afterwards. It’s right.”

Lup made a noncommittal noise and headed back down to the lab.

They landed after dark in a flurry of jet-blown leaves. Davenport was waiting for them at the edge of the same clearing where they’d first arrived nearly a year ago. By the time Barry had finished shutting down the ship, Lup was on the ground, and he followed a minute later with his bag slung over his shoulder. Davenport glanced up as he approached.

“Tell me you found it,” Barry said.

Lup turned to him, and the answer was all over her face. His heart sank.

“I’m going to find Taako,” she said. She hurried off towards the conservatory without looking back.

Barry exhaled heavily. Davenport turned, and they fell in step together down the path.

“Lup was telling me you didn’t have any more luck,” Davenport said.

Barry shook his head. “We were able to extend the sensor range quite a bit, but didn’t pick anything up. Not even a false positive. It’s dead out there.”

Davenport nodded. “Good work doing that anyway. It’ll make a big difference next time we miss seeing the Light fall.” He glanced at Barry sidelong. “Anything else new that I should know about?”

Barry stiffened slightly. “Sir?”

Davenport looked pained. “I'm asking as your friend, Barry. Not your captain.”

“Ah.” Barry scratched his head sheepishly. “I … yeah. I guess there is. We might have rearranged some furniture.”

Davenport chuckled. They reached the edge of the Legato Conservatory campus, and paused where the path split to wind towards different dormitories.

“I’m happy for you,” Davenport said. “Both of you. It’s a hell of a time and place, to find something like that.”

Barry looked up. The sky was clear, and even with the lights from the conservatory in view there were plenty of stars overhead. He looked for the constellation he'd picked out on the night of the performance, sitting on the bench with Lup. He found it, but its lines were broken; half of the stars had gone out.

“No kidding,” he said quietly.

 

They discussed their final plans over breakfast the next morning.

“We have about two more days,” Lup pointed out. “We could do another pass, get as far from the mountain as we can and just follow any energy readings that seem promising until the Hunger shows up.”

Magnus shook his head. “That’s a shot in the dark. There are people right here who need our help. We can still get some of them away from the conservatory, get them somewhere safer.”

“Where exactly do you think is going to be safe?” Merle gestured with a sausage on the end of a fork. “If we don’t have the Light, they’re all screwed anyway, right?”

“Uh, guys?” Taako piped up from the end of the table. “I think all of this might be moot.” He was staring out the window. The others turned to look.

Black clouds were rolling across the sky at impossible speed, blanketing the ground in shadow. Screams reverberated in the courtyard as it suddenly became dark as night, and with a horrifying clap of thunder, the color faded from the room.

Davenport was the first on his feet. “Bug out,” he ordered. “We’re up in the air in two minutes.”

The crew scrambled out of the lounge, pressing through panicked clusters of students and staff.

“It’s _early_ ,” Lup yelled indignantly over the cacophony.

“It’s getting faster,” Lucretia panted. They burst out of the hall and started across the courtyard. “We’re running out of time.”

Barry and Lup exchanged a look. Her eyes were huge.

They were separated outside, pulled in different directions by the crowd. Barry turned to see Lup gesturing frantically at Magnus before he ran off away from the ship, down into the valley where the recital stage was.

“Where’s he going?” Barry asked when she caught up with him.

“He needs to get something. And so do I.”

“What?! Lup!”

He caught her hand as she pulled away. Their eyes met. Years flashed by in that moment: the decades they had already spent learning to trust each other, and a future in which they would hone that trust into a weapon.

Barry took a deep breath. He let go of her hand.

Lup grabbed the front of Barry’s shirt and kissed him fiercely. “Back soon,” she said. “I promise.” And then she was gone, a red streak sprinting towards the practice hall.

 

Magnus and Lucretia were the last ones on the bridge before they retracted the gangplank, his arms full of a glittering creature that Barry didn’t have time to be curious about. Seconds later, as the ship was just beginning to pull away from the ground, a bolt of flame shot upwards from the conservatory campus, arcing gracefully over the ship and landing overhead with a thump.

Barry rushed for the ladder. Taako was a step ahead of him, and as they saw each other move Barry could swear he saw the corner of Taako’s mouth twitch upwards. They scrambled through the hatch one after another.

Lup stood in the center of the deck, feet braced and hair whipping in the wind. Her violin case lay open by her side, and she fitted the instrument to her shoulder without acknowledging them. It was still well tuned, but she went through the motions anyway, verifying it to her satisfaction before she began to play.

The song seemed out of place for the circumstances: a sweet, pastoral melody, humming brightly from the strings as the apocalypse rained down around them. It took a few bars for Barry to place it. He had only heard it once, nearly a year ago, at the recital they attended the day they arrived. A nervous young man had played it on the piano as Chancellor Marlow demonstrated the phenomenon her people called the Light of Creation--a bizarre coincidence which was about to cost them their lives.

The tune morphed smoothly into another. This one was slower, sadder, an echo of the woodwind quartet that had submitted it one golden afternoon. Lup adapted its four parts to one as best she could, following the melody as it had passed from flute to bassoon, clarinet to oboe.

As the ship raced upwards through the sky, weaving deftly between columns of black opal, Lup played a solemn dirge and a spritely tarantella, sonatas and ballads and marches, changing as rapidly as she recalled them and improvising the transitions. She played the aria that Davenport had sung for them only a handful of days before. She played the song that accompanied Merle’s dance.

Finally, she played the piece that had been written for her hands, for her bow, for her heart. Barry’s fingers flexed instinctively into the shapes of chords. The air was getting thin and stretchy now; it wobbled around them in a sickly way that had become familiar but never comfortable, and Barry saw strands of white light beginning to form around Taako and Lup.

Lup ignored it all. Her violin sang out through the storm, retelling the part of their story that had come to a close on this world. It wept with longing, soared with hope, and as Barry’s senses whited out it was just beginning to cascade towards resolution.

Barry, Taako, and Lup dissolved into light.

The violin hit the deck with a dissonant clatter. Its bridge popped off, swinging uselessly on limp strings. The bow dropped straight down, bouncing once and then careening over the side as the ship dipped into one last turn. The violin body nearly followed. It skidded into the rail and hung there precariously until the strands of white light crept all the way up the sides of the ship. At last they engulfed it, and the violin fell, through the newly empty air, into darkness.


End file.
